Why Is The Daily Show So Popular?

Because our current batch of politicians(with a heavy emphasis on republican politicians) are so utterly hypocritical and have no shame. So there was a huge niche available for someone to actually make a living making fun of their character flaws and hypocrisy!

Here are some examples:

1. Here are the republicans complianing that the Buffett rule will ONLY bring in $47 Billion but we need to defund planned parenthood because it costs us a whomping $363 million.

14 Responses to Why Is The Daily Show So Popular?

The Daily Show is so popular because it tells the real story behind the news, and uses “the camera never lies” to its maximum effect.

For those who don’t know, many young people get most of their news from late night comedy shows. Although I haven’t seen any of the studies that gave us those statistics tell us why, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because the late night shows aren’t under as much political pressure from their corporate overlords, and can give more accurate coverage. So ironically, the self-proclaimed “fake news” show does a better job than the “real news” shows at times.

Using the video archives to catch politicians in a lie is powerful stuff. IIRC it was David Letterman who did it first. The Daily Show has perfected the art, that’s for sure.

Jeff, I don’t see Republican opposition to the Buffet tax and Planned Parenthood funding as either hypocritical or evidence of character flaws. If it were just about the money, then one could make that argument as $47 billion is clearly greater than $363 million. Of course there is more to the story in that the Buffet tax would make virtually no dent in the deficit despite a previous claim that it would and of course the reason to defund Planned Parenthood is obviously because of a philosophical disagreement about abortion. A comedian’s job of course is to be funny so the joke works in this case if important and relevant information is excluded. The scary thing is that young people get their “news” from such a source. Obviously I disagree with Memory Man’s contention that the Daily Show does a better job providing real news.

Denis, I think it’s pretty clear to all but the most obtuse among us know who the GOPs are pandering to. We know it’s not about “a philosophical disagreement”; it’s about the GOP wanting to force the whole country to practice the religion that they dictate. We also know the deficit straw man for what it is, and aren’t falling for that either.

Denis, why does your party’s elected members of Congress absolutely refuse to do anything whatsoever to create jobs?

I don’t know what religion you are talking about MM. However, I suspect that Republicans oppose the secular religion of the left, which celebrates and funds abortion, something most Republicans find objectionable. How about we leave religion out of government and let people fund their own abortions?

Regarding Republicans and jobs, how about that pipeline nixed by your side. Might have created a few jobs. Oh and that mine in Crandon.

Rich, I maintain that most of us have beliefs that have similarities to organized religions. By that I mean beliefs that just might not be provable. The belief in Jesus Christ as God would be one example. The belief that the growth in a pregnant woman’s body is not a living human also deserving of a right to life accorded those who have successfully passed through a vagina is a strange belief in my view held by most of the left. I consider that an example of secular religion.

Regarding the first amendment, I think it is fairly self explanatory. Are you suggesting that defunding Planned Parenthood would be establishing a religion?

Denis then you should run because I would respect, well thought out explanations like your as to why they oppose/favor certain bills(even if I strongly disagree). Unfortunately stewart makes these clips because their message is completely different.

I will give you that all stories are more nuanced than anyone shows. however I will not give you your justification, especially when he has John Thune on video complaining about the costs of PP and dismissing how much the Buffet tax would bring in. If what your saying is true, does that mean Thune is lying? Besides everyone knows by now that PP really is not in the abortion business and it accounts for a very small fraction of what they actually do.

What memory man is saying (I believe) is would brian Williams ever show these two videos side by side? NO he would report both and at the time report them as if John Thune is a serious Senator making a legit point, whereas Stewart treats him like he should be treated!

As for the “no dent” argument that amazes me. So do you believe we should restore CB rights since we know they had no fiscal impact? Should we restore the public workers pay where they do not have to pay even more of their HC and pension, since it really left no dent in the deficit?

Brian Williams has a great sense of humor, and I’d love to see how he’d do the evening news if he didn’t have anyone at NBC/GE to answer to for it. 😀

In real-world circumstances, the evening TV news has roughly 15 minutes to cover as many breaking, national, international and noteworthy regional events as possible. The Daily Show has the flexibility to cover one issue in-depth if the producers want to. Late night comedy shows can bump a guest to make time for really big and/or breaking stories. The evening network news doesn’t have guests to bump.

Again Jeff we have to dig a little deeper here. Just because something -in this case the Buffet tax -might reduce the deficit does not mean that it must be embraced by Republicans. For example, nationalizing Microsoft would similarly reduce the deficit…. initially. Would Republicans be hypocrites for not voting in favor of a proposal to nationalize Microsoft? Of course not. My guess is that Republicans believe that the Buffet tax would be more harmful in the long run. As such, their opposition does not prove hypocrisy.

The reason is because in comedy, there has to be a truth that makes the comedy work. Sometimes it’s the opposite, like with satires like the Daily Show or farces, or attacking the truth head-on, like a George Carlin. But you have to come from a place of fact and honesty to be successful in comedy- which is why right-wingers suck so much at it- because you have to make shit up in order to buy into that philosophy, and you can’t do good comedy on what is not real.

Also, the Daily Show uses judgment, and doesn’t have to adhere to MSM doctrine of “both sides” BS journalism. The non-Faux MSM depends on access to politicians of both sides, and thertefore can’t take too much time in calling out someone who is clearly lying. The Daily Show doesn’t have to kiss ass like that, so they just take an issue or a statement on its merits (or lack thereof), and honestly assess it. And that’s why Jon Stewart is the most trusted man in news, because he uses the judgment that corporate/ D.C.-based media refuses to use.